Appreciating the Blend

February 14, 2009

By Junia Z., San Diego, CA

Ever since I grew old enough to recognize the significant cultural differences between China, where my parents grew up, and America, where I was born, I have often wondered what would have happened to me if my dad had not come to study in America. Most likely, I would have never lifted a tennis racket or understood true freedom. I probably would not have learned how to speak Spanish or eaten a California burrito from Roberto's. And of course, my friends would not range in diversity as they do now: Caucasian, Korean, Indian, African-American, Mexican and Filipino. Then again, there is the scary idea that I would not even have known what it was like to grow up in China either, as a result of the one-child policy.
The other day my dad told me about a girl my age in China who had prepared, like her peers, virtually her whole life for the exam all students take that would determine their future college.